Agenda:

2:30 - 3:00, Check in and Networking

3:00 – 3:15, Opening Remarks

3:15 – 4:30, Speaker:  Steve Shelton, Chief Resilience Officer of Green Shoe Consulting

4:30 – 6:00, Networking

Steve Shelton, CEO, Green Shoe Consulting

State of Stress 2025: Are You Driving Resilience or Dousing the Flames?

Whether you’re a front-line analyst, team lead, manager or CISO, chronic stress creeps in when we default to reactive “fire-fighting.” In this 60-minute, interactive session you’ll:

Explore Early Data: See the top stressors and burnout red flags from our CISO research—and hear how they show up at every level of the SOC.

Discover Your Persona: Take a quick live assessment to identify whether you lean Tactical, Operational or Strategic—and why that matters for your day-to-day resilience.

Build Universal Skills: Learn the six core traits of Strategic CISOs—clarifying control vs. influence, decision-making under uncertainty, boundary-setting, calm communication, and more—and practical steps anyone can take to cultivate them today.

Practice in Real Time: Through group breakouts and scenario drills, you’ll walk out with bite-sized tools to defuse your next fire drill and start driving resilience across your team.

Don’t just put out fires—learn how to design a firewall around chronic stress.

Bio: Steve Shelton is the visionary founder and Chief Resilience Officer of Green Shoe Consulting, a firm dedicated to helping cybersecurity leaders—and the teams they guide—transform chronic stress into sustainable strength. With nearly two decades of experience in the trenches of cybersecurity sales at Symantec, RSA and Proofpoint, Steve saw firsthand how relentless pressure and the “always-on” mentality can erode even the most talented professionals. He founded Green Shoe to bridge the gap between technical expertise and mental well-being, drawing on his training in cognitive performance psychology to craft evidence-based strategies that elevate both personal resilience and organizational health.

Steve’s approach is steeped in rigorous research—most notably the forthcoming “State of Stress in Cybersecurity” report—and enriched by partnerships with leading academics from institutions like the University of Guelph. His workshops, keynotes and one-on-one coaching blend cutting-edge applied psychological frameworks with real-world insights, empowering CISOs and their teams to reclaim control, set healthy boundaries, and sustain peak performance under pressure.

Grounded in genuine warmth and unwavering belief in human potential, Steve measures success not by revenue but by the daily breakthroughs his clients experience: the CISO who finally steps away from the fire drill, the team that builds trust instead of silos, the organization that thrives because its people feel seen, supported, and strong. He invites every cybersecurity professional to join him on a journey from burnout to breakthrough — also known as the Resilience Rebellion.

    IMPORTANT NOTICE

CHAPTER MEETING & EVENT FEE CHANGES

EFFECTIVE MAY 1, 2025

For over a decade, we have provided free attendance and/or significantly reduced fees for special events. We will still offer the best fee structure for Members, but effective May 1, pay particular attention to ticket prices for Chapter Meetings and Events because fees have changed. See below on how ticket type fees have changed. Feel free to email any questions to communications@issa-chicago.org.